1 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: You're listening to Part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. Guess what gave? 3 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 2: What's that mango? 4 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: Do you know that? And apossum and apossum are two 5 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: completely different animals. 6 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 2: That didn't even sound like two different words. 7 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 1: I know, I actually thought that as I said it, 8 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: But for a long time I thought it was the 9 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: same animal. It was just like a regional dialect difference. 10 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: Like depending on where you live, a groundhog is also 11 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: called a ground pig, or a marmot, or a woodchuck 12 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: or even a land. 13 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: Beaver land beaver. I don't know about some of those, 14 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 2: Like how much wood does a ground pig chuck? That 15 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 2: it doesn't have the same ring to it now? 16 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, like trying to determine how much more 17 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: winter there is based on whether land beaver saw its 18 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: own shadow, right, Like, some words just work better than others, 19 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: even if it's the same animal. But back to possums 20 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: and opossums, it turns out they are different words with 21 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 1: different pronunciations, and they refer to two totally different animals. 22 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 2: Okay, And which one is it that keeps knocking over 23 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 2: my trash cans? Because you know, I want to address 24 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:29,479 Speaker 2: them properly, you know, when I yell out the window 25 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 2: at them tonight. 26 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, So that would be a possums. And those are 27 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: the ones that you and I are familiar with, right, 28 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: like those stumpy little mammals with grayish fur rat like 29 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 1: tails and pointy white faces that you sometimes see rooting 30 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: through your garbage. And apossums are native to the America's 31 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: and they actually got their name from Captain John Smith, 32 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: the English soldier who helped establish the Jamestown colony in Virginia. 33 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 2: Wow, so John Smith named the apossum. I don't think 34 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 2: that that was in my elementary. 35 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: School history books mine either, But in sixteen oh eight, 36 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: Smith wrote the first known English description of the creature, 37 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: and he explained that the local tribes called it an apossum, 38 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: which was his own phonetic approximation of this Algonquin word 39 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: meaning white animal. 40 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 2: And so what about possums, like, where do they live? 41 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: Apparently they live in Australia, But surprise, surprise, their name 42 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: also ties back to European exploration. So more than a 43 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: century after John Smith encountered a possums in the forests 44 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: of Virginia, a totally different group of British explorers made 45 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: their way to Australia and also to New Guinea, and 46 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: one of them was this naturalist. His name was Sir 47 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: Joseph Banks, and during his travels he came across an 48 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: animal that resembled the descriptions of American apossums. You know, 49 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: it wasn't a perfect match, right, Like the ones in 50 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: Australia were smaller, they had less pointed snouts. They also 51 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:59,119 Speaker 1: had big furry tales with no white on their faces. 52 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: So Banks just kind of adjusted the name just a 53 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: little bit, like ever so slightly and called them possums. 54 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,959 Speaker 2: That is so bizarre, Like, let's keep most of the name, 55 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 2: but we'll just we'll just tweak it a little bit 56 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 2: so that, you know, Will and Gabe and Mango can 57 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 2: clarify the differences between the animals on a podcast two 58 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 2: hundred and fifty years later. 59 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: I know, it really is impressive and I feel honored 60 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: that Sir Joseph Banks teed it up for us to 61 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: educate the world two hundred and fifty years later. But 62 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: the strange thing is that they are in fact related, 63 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: Like you know, they are very distant branches of the 64 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: same family tree. That said Australian possums are actually much 65 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: more closely related to kangaroos than they are to a possums, 66 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: And on today's episode, we're actually shining a light purely 67 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: on a possums because these little neighbors of ours are 68 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: full of weird surprises and we found nine incredible facts 69 00:03:52,320 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: about them, so let's dive in. Hey, their podcast listeners, 70 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: welcome to part time genius. I am Monga's articular aka Mango, 71 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 1: and Will cannot be here today. We miss you will, 72 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: but stepping in to replace them is my good friend, 73 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: researcher for the show, writer for the show, all around 74 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: personality for the show gave Lucy a Hey gave Hi Mango. 75 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: And on the other side of that soundproof glass hanging 76 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: upside down from a pull up bar, that is our 77 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: friend and producer Dylan Fagan. And I should note that 78 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 1: Dylan hasn't actually done a pull up yet, so I'm 79 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,920 Speaker 1: guessing this is some kind of tribute to the way 80 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 1: that apossums hang upside down from their tails, right GiB. 81 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, they have those prehensile tails that let them hold 82 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 2: on to things, typically tree branches, not pull up bars. 83 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,280 Speaker 2: But it's really only the baby apossums that hang from 84 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 2: their tails like that. Adult males can weigh up to 85 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,359 Speaker 2: fourteen pounds, so you know, their little tails wouldn't support 86 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 2: them for very long. So come to think of it, 87 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 2: maybe they should be doing pull ups. 88 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 1: That is so weird. I feel like we've been lied 89 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 1: to by balds cartanists. 90 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 2: Yeah no, sorry to disappoint. Adultapossums mostly use their tails 91 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 2: to stay balanced, to grip onto tree branches and carry 92 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 2: nesting materials. And while Australian possums also have big, fuzzy, 93 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:35,840 Speaker 2: prehensile tails, they don't hang upside down at all, even 94 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 2: as babies. 95 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: You think you know a guy, right, So, Gabe, where 96 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: do you want to start today? 97 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:45,600 Speaker 2: Why don't we talk about one fact that I sometimes forget, 98 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 2: which is that a possums are not rodents. Instead, they 99 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:52,560 Speaker 2: belong to that special class of mammal where the female 100 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 2: carries and nurses her young in an external pouch on 101 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 2: her abdomen. You know who I'm talking about, marsupials. 102 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: You know. I always felt like we were cheated as 103 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,599 Speaker 1: kids because it felt like America didn't have its own 104 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: marsupial right, like they were all in Australia. Or whatever else. 105 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 1: But but like it is really cool that we actually 106 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 1: have one. 107 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know, yeah, it feels like when you learn 108 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 2: about marsupials in grade school. Australia really does have the 109 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 2: monopoly on all the cool critters koalas, wombats, kangaroos, a 110 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 2: whole bunch of others I can't remember. And you know, 111 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,919 Speaker 2: apossums are kind of this weird outlier because you know, 112 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 2: they aren't over there. They are actually more than one 113 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 2: hundred different species of them spread across South and Central America. 114 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 2: And they've been there for a long time too. Because 115 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 2: apossums are basically living fossils, they coexisted with the dinosaurs 116 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 2: and they've changed very little in all that time. I know, again, 117 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 2: you think you know a guy. But here in North 118 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 2: America we have a species of our own, and that's 119 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 2: the Virginia apossum. 120 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: So why does North America have just one species. 121 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,680 Speaker 2: Because so far that's the only species, the only marsupial 122 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 2: that has managed to north of Mexico on its own. 123 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:06,359 Speaker 2: The Virginia possum is technically a tropical species, just like 124 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 2: its southern cousins, but for whatever reason, these little guys 125 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 2: have pushed further and further north over the last few centuries. 126 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 2: They were already well established in the southeastern US by 127 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 2: the seventeenth century, as John Smith showed, and today Virginia 128 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 2: possums are found as far north as New England, the 129 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 2: Upper Midwest, and even parts of Canada. 130 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: So I love that tenacity, and it also feels very 131 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:33,760 Speaker 1: on brand for America's marsupial. 132 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 2: No, yeah, very much. They get around. And also Virginia 133 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 2: possums are scrappy and not very particular. They'll make a 134 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 2: den just about anywhere, in trees and burrows or even 135 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 2: in abandoned buildings, and they'll eat just about anything plants, insects, 136 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 2: kitchen trash. That adaptability is allowed the species, you know, 137 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 2: to go places where a marsupial really doesn't belong. 138 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: I am curious, like, where don't they belong? 139 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 2: I mean pretty much anywhere with harsh winters, right, because again, 140 00:08:04,560 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 2: these are tropical mammals. They really aren't built for cold 141 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 2: temperatures like raccoons or foxes. A possum fur is thin 142 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 2: and sparse, and their tails and ears are completely hairless, 143 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 2: which you know, we find kind of gross. You know, 144 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:20,120 Speaker 2: if you ever see an apossum in the springtime with 145 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 2: a stumpy tail. Cut him some slack because he just 146 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 2: survived a rough winter and he has the frostbite scars 147 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 2: to prove it. 148 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 1: Well. Hopefully my next fact can drum up even more 149 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: goodwill for the Virginia apostlem because it's my absolute favorite. 150 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: Did you know that apossums have thirteen nipples? 151 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 2: That is news to me? 152 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: I should think you might be, Ah, you might know that. 153 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 2: I'm not gonna admit it in public. 154 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: But this is the one thing I like absolutely remember 155 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: from mental floss. And also I remember that all those 156 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 1: nipples are arranged in a circle. 157 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:56,679 Speaker 2: Oh, that is so weird. 158 00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:59,319 Speaker 1: Why I do want to get to the why. But 159 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: they also have more teeth than any other land mammal 160 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: in North America, which is why those brilliant smiles of 161 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 1: theirs are, you know, so spectacular and also scary. They 162 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: have fifty teeth all stuffed into a really small mouth, 163 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: and that's eight more teeth than wolves actually have. 164 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:16,600 Speaker 2: Wow. 165 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 1: But I'm going to move off teeth back to nipples. 166 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: How many animals have you heard of with an odd 167 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: number of nipples? Zero? 168 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,640 Speaker 2: But I'm sure it makes wearing a bikini trickier, right, 169 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:32,080 Speaker 2: and where would you even keep a spare nipple? Like, 170 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:34,559 Speaker 2: they're all just arranged in a circle, you said, even 171 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 2: the thirteenth. 172 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:38,319 Speaker 1: One, well, twelve are laid out in a circular pattern, 173 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 1: kind of like the numbers on a clock, and the 174 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 1: thirteenth is actually in the center, which is obviously a 175 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,720 Speaker 1: very strange arrangement. But also the only reason the circle 176 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: arrangement works is because of that external pouch, you know, 177 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:54,679 Speaker 1: the one that holds those infants all snugly in place 178 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,080 Speaker 1: even when their mom is on the move. Basically, the 179 00:09:57,200 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 1: thirteen newborn apossums, which are only about the size of honeybees, 180 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 1: wedge into that pouch and latch on from all the directions. 181 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 2: I mean, you gotta admire the efficiency, right. 182 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, but it does have a downside. So unlike baby 183 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: placental mammals, which can move around independently between feedings, apossums 184 00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: basically remain attached to their mothers for several weeks until 185 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 1: they're old enough to wean. So even though they have 186 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: litters of twenty or thirty Joey's at a time, and 187 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 1: I think it's cool that they're called Joey's as well, 188 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: the most that can ever survive? Are those lucky thirteen? Oh? 189 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 2: That? I mean, that's that's pretty sad when you think 190 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:38,719 Speaker 2: about it. 191 00:10:39,120 --> 00:10:41,559 Speaker 1: Yeah, it is sad. But to make up for it, 192 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 1: I'm going to give you a vocab gift, which is, 193 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: you know, how we show our love on the show. 194 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: Apparently a group of living, thriving young apossums is called 195 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:50,319 Speaker 1: a passel. 196 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:53,680 Speaker 2: A passel of apossums. I like that. But since you 197 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 2: raise this, you know, very grim specter of apossum death, 198 00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 2: I think now seems like a good time to talk 199 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 2: about the species knack for pretending to be dead. We've 200 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 2: all heard the expression playing possum, which refers to someone 201 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 2: feigning death in order to trick an opponent, and I 202 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:12,199 Speaker 2: guess in this case it should actually be called playing apossum. 203 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:16,959 Speaker 2: But here's the thing. Apossums aren't trying to deceive anybody 204 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 2: because they can't actually choose when they play dead. It's 205 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 2: a completely involuntary response called thanatosis or tonic immobility, and 206 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:30,200 Speaker 2: it's basically their body's last ditch effort to avoid being eaten. 207 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 1: I like that you're clearing up the fact that they're 208 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: actually very honest creatures and they're not going to trick anyone, 209 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: but work exactly because you know, you think a better 210 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: strategy would be to like just fight or race away, 211 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: you know, pretty much anything but going limp right. 212 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 2: Well, I mean it works in the apossum's case because 213 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 2: many of its natural predators, like hawks and snakes, prefer 214 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 2: to feed on live prey, and they tend to lose 215 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 2: interest when one of their targets, you know, suddenly keels 216 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 2: over with its tongue hanging out, and when dealing with 217 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 2: bread who don't mind a bit of scavenging, like foxes, 218 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 2: the apossum goes a step further to repel them. It 219 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:10,719 Speaker 2: actually voids its bowels and excretes a foul smelling mucus 220 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:13,559 Speaker 2: so that other animals will think it's gone rancid. 221 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:18,080 Speaker 1: I discuss that is so gross and so clever. 222 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 2: I guess right, yeah, I mean, it's definitely an effective 223 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:24,320 Speaker 2: defense system, you know, whether the apossum knows it or not. 224 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:27,840 Speaker 2: But it's also kind of risky. For instance, an a 225 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:32,080 Speaker 2: possum's catatonic state can last up to four hours, which is, 226 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 2: you know, more than enough time for a less picky 227 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 2: predator to find them. Not to mention there are lots 228 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 2: of unlucky ones that play dead in the middle of 229 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 2: the road, and the odds of them waking up before 230 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 2: a car comes along or slimmed to none. And that's 231 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 2: a big reason why Virginia apossums only live about two 232 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 2: years in the wild on average versus ten years in captivity. 233 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, it is sad to think about, but 234 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,320 Speaker 1: I bet a lot of people are mostly familiar with 235 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: the possums as roadkill, right, Dylan, Actually, before this episode, 236 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,480 Speaker 1: pitch me on making a PTG bumper sticker that says 237 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:11,440 Speaker 1: true patriots break for America's only native marsupial. I didn't 238 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:13,679 Speaker 1: know what he was talking about before, but now I 239 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: feel like I would slap that sticker on my car 240 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:17,080 Speaker 1: for sure. 241 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, and that reminds me. Have you heard the old 242 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 2: Southern joke about planked possum aka possum treat? I mean, 243 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 2: I'm from Delaware, so no, Yeah, fair enough, So that's 244 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:26,959 Speaker 2: a no. 245 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:27,559 Speaker 1: Okay. 246 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 2: So this joke is basically, you know, plays on the 247 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:33,440 Speaker 2: idea that a possum meat isn't that tasty to most people. 248 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:38,360 Speaker 2: MU probably relate, And it's basically this long winded recipe 249 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 2: about how to roast an apossum on a wooden board. 250 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 2: So it goes through all these detailed steps like how 251 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 2: to make a special glaze and how to parboil this 252 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 2: like hyper specific yam from East Texas. You gotta get 253 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 2: that yam. And then the last step, you know, which 254 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 2: is also the punchline, is that you throw out the 255 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 2: apossum and eat the board instead. 256 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: Oh, the whole switch through. I got it. Whatever apossum's 257 00:14:05,880 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 1: lack and tastiness, they more than makeup for in other ways. 258 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: For instance, did you know that they have secret powers 259 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 1: of immunity or that one of them was pretty enough 260 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: to be issued an official pardon by a North Carolina governor. 261 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: We're going to be talking about both of those after 262 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: a quick break, so don't go anywhere. 263 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 2: Welcome back to Part Time Genius, where we're talking about 264 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 2: nine reasons why apossums are more awesome than you think. 265 00:14:47,120 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 2: We've got five facts left to go, But if you 266 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 2: dig the show so far, help us out and subscribe 267 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 2: on your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a 268 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 2: fellow animal lover. We also love hearing from you, so 269 00:14:57,920 --> 00:14:59,800 Speaker 2: let us know if you have a question or idea 270 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 2: like us to look into you can give us a 271 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 2: call at three oh two four oh five five nine 272 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 2: two five, email us at high Geniuses at gmail dot com, 273 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 2: or come find us on blue Sky and Instagram at 274 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 2: part time Genius. 275 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: I mean, there are a million ways to get in touch, 276 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 1: so it feels like people have no excuses, right, I know, just. 277 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 2: Pick your favorite and uh yeah reach out all right 278 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 2: and I goo, let's go back to your teas. Before 279 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 2: the break, you said a possums have some crazy kind 280 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 2: of immunity. So what are we talking here? Diplomatic tribal? 281 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: What do they got? So what I was talking about 282 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: actually is this incredible adaptive immunity that makes the possums 283 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:42,320 Speaker 1: kind of unaffected by animal venom. There is a special 284 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:46,720 Speaker 1: protein in their blood that completely neutralizes toxic components, and 285 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: it allows an a possum to survive a bite or 286 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:53,440 Speaker 1: a sting that might otherwise kill an animal its size. 287 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: The trait is especially useful when squaring off against dangerous 288 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: snakes like copper heads and water moccasins, but it is 289 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 1: also handy for warding off the venomous stings of things 290 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: like honeybees or scorpions. 291 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 2: That is a much cooler trick than like pretending to 292 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:10,479 Speaker 2: be dead. 293 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 1: And oozing goo. 294 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, completely, But how did they become immune to venom 295 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 2: What was it? Because they were, you know, attacked all 296 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 2: the time by venomous snakes or something. 297 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,360 Speaker 1: I mean, that definitely is one theory, but researchers aren't 298 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 1: completely sure. Somethink that possums immunity is actually more about 299 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,600 Speaker 1: offense than defense, and in that scenario, they would have 300 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 1: evolved immunity for the sake of expanding their diet. Right, So, 301 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: despite what you might think of possums, you know, they're scavengers, 302 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 1: but they also eat a lot of rattle snakes, honey bees, scorpions, 303 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: so it kind of makes sense. 304 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I mean that definitely works in our favor too, right, 305 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 2: Like always nice to have fewer rattle snakes and scorpions 306 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 2: prowling around the neighborhood. 307 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, And possums are a big help with things like 308 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 1: population control, not just with venomous species. They're also great 309 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 1: for like clearing out past like garden slugs or cockroaches ticks. 310 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: They help beautified landscape by eating things like rotten fruit. 311 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:07,200 Speaker 1: They're essentially living vacuum cleaners for cities and suburbs and 312 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: they really will just hoover up just about anything. 313 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 2: Didn't you write a poem about or two in apossum 314 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:16,439 Speaker 2: a few years back, like some kind of owed to 315 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 2: the apostlem, you remember, Yeah, it was for a show 316 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 2: I did called Humans Growing Stuff. 317 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:26,320 Speaker 1: And this was way back in COVID lockdown. It was 318 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,200 Speaker 1: like three am in Brooklyn, and Lizzie and I heard 319 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 1: this weird shuffling outside and we were like, is that 320 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:35,199 Speaker 1: a big cat or a person? There's a sound on 321 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: this little balcony that's above our bedroom, right, so so 322 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 1: like you could hear this like clomping around, and then 323 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 1: it sort of quietly, not so quietly, came down these 324 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: metal outdoor stairs, and so it kind of felt like 325 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,199 Speaker 1: we were in this bad horror movie. And you know, 326 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:51,080 Speaker 1: we'd both been startled and we didn't know what it was. 327 00:17:51,119 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: And it's three am, so I'm just kind of tracking 328 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 1: the sounds, and then I peeked out the window with 329 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:58,919 Speaker 1: my light and I just saw this goofy looking like 330 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: pretty big possum with all these pointy chompers, and I 331 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: was definitely taken. 332 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 2: Aback, I bet, but Mango, there's no getting away from it. 333 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: The poem please, Yeah, so on the show, I presented 334 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 1: this with hand drums, sort of beat poetry style. I 335 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:20,919 Speaker 1: think I called it poetry corner, but I just pulled 336 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: up the text of this. So this poem is called 337 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:27,160 Speaker 1: quote an apology to the apossum in my garden who 338 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 1: made me shriek today loudly at three am in the morning, 339 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:35,280 Speaker 1: And I'm gonna read it for you now. I'm sorry 340 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:38,560 Speaker 1: that when I saw you, I screamed and showed you away. 341 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:42,439 Speaker 1: But now that I know you feast on slugs, please 342 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:43,880 Speaker 1: help yourself to the buffet. 343 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:51,160 Speaker 2: Thank you, beautiful, beautiful, I'm gonna snap so dumb, does 344 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:52,640 Speaker 2: your garden have a lot of slugs? 345 00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:55,720 Speaker 1: I mean when it rains like it actually has so 346 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:58,640 Speaker 1: many of them. I've never experienced anything like it. And 347 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 1: I also never assumed, like of all places will be 348 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:04,560 Speaker 1: slug filled, but you end up with like beautiful birds 349 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: coming through as a result, and I guess also possums. 350 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:10,320 Speaker 1: But before we move on, I want to mention one 351 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:13,200 Speaker 1: other possum trait that we should all be grateful for, 352 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:17,640 Speaker 1: and that is its low body temperature. So as marsupials, 353 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:20,040 Speaker 1: the possums run a little bit cooler than other mammals. 354 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:22,919 Speaker 1: So while the normal body temperature for a human ranges 355 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 1: between ninety seven and ninety nine degrees fahrenheit, and the 356 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: possums can be as low as ninety four degrees fahrenheit. 357 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 2: And why is that something to be thankful for? 358 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:36,359 Speaker 1: Apparently, the difference of a few degrees makes it much 359 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: harder for an apossum to contract rabies, which you know, 360 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 1: it's kind of remarkable. The virus just can't survive for 361 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:45,399 Speaker 1: that long and a body that cold, and that means 362 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: it's extremely unlikely that you'll ever cross paths with an 363 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:52,480 Speaker 1: infected apossum. That said, if you do encounter a wild apossum, 364 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 1: you should still keep your distance. You know, they aren't 365 00:19:54,920 --> 00:19:57,399 Speaker 1: aggressive by nature, but they're safe than than sorry. 366 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, a good reminder not to go out and 367 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 2: hug an apossum, no matter how cuddly they look, even 368 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:06,719 Speaker 2: though you know you might want to. After I tell 369 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:10,439 Speaker 2: you about the apossum's trademark display of affection, which is 370 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 2: something called slubbing. Have you heard of it? 371 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I try to keep up on all the 372 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,439 Speaker 1: new apossum lego, but I've never heard of slubbing, So 373 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 1: tell me about it. 374 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 2: Well, The word itself is short for slobber rubbing, and 375 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,399 Speaker 2: that pretty much tells you all you need to know. 376 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 2: Opossums will lick an object or sometimes a person that 377 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:34,240 Speaker 2: they like, and then forcefully rub against it with their chin. 378 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 2: If you ever see this in action, it is gross 379 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,720 Speaker 2: and funny and oddly charming. There are plenty of videos 380 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,479 Speaker 2: out there, but keep in mind you will come across 381 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:49,160 Speaker 2: titles like quote apossum can't stop slubbing his mom and 382 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 2: just you know, go ahead and click through. It's not 383 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 2: what you think. 384 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 1: So I'm both grateful for the link and for the warning, 385 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 1: but I'm curious you said this was a show of affection. 386 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: Sounds more like it's marking territory. 387 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:05,200 Speaker 2: It's a bit of both, really wild. The possums might 388 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 2: slub to mark their territory and leave behind their scent 389 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,639 Speaker 2: for potential mates, while the possums in captivity generally slub 390 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 2: their favorite toys or caregivers. In either case, slobber rubbing 391 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:18,880 Speaker 2: is a way for a possums to claim something they 392 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 2: like as theirs, and when you think about it, the 393 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 2: behavior isn't that unusual. Cats do something very similar called bunting, 394 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 2: which is when they rub their faces on things to 395 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 2: claim ownership and express affection. The apossum version just involves 396 00:21:33,119 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 2: you know, way more saliva. 397 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:37,440 Speaker 1: Well, speaking of ways to show affection, I want to 398 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:40,800 Speaker 1: circle back to this other story. It teast earlier and 399 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 1: it's the one about the apossum who was pardoned by 400 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:47,399 Speaker 1: a governor. So this story starts back in nineteen seventy 401 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 1: when a male apossum named Slowpoke won the Prettiest Possum 402 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:57,160 Speaker 1: Award at the National Hollerin Contest in Spivey's Corner, North Carolina. 403 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 2: What a sentence and prettiest possum I love that. 404 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:03,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, well that's how the day starts. But the main 405 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:07,359 Speaker 1: event that day was the second annual Field holler In Contest, 406 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:11,440 Speaker 1: where local farmers competed to give the best yell or yodel. 407 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: But back to the prettiest possum. So slow Poke just 408 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,360 Speaker 1: cruises to victory, right, just eases right in there, because 409 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:22,479 Speaker 1: you know, slow Poke, he is unusual. He's got this 410 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:26,560 Speaker 1: all white coat and it's impressive. He's got a fourteen 411 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 1: inch tail that is just too much to compete with. Right, 412 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: he is a butte and as a prize, he and 413 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:35,199 Speaker 1: the other human contest winners get this private meet and 414 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 1: greet with North Carolina's governor, Bob Scott. 415 00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:41,520 Speaker 2: Feels like slow Poke, you know, probably would have preferred 416 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:43,919 Speaker 2: a bag of crickets or something to a meet and greet, 417 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:44,880 Speaker 2: But okay. 418 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:48,639 Speaker 1: You know, it also would have been a better idea 419 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:52,480 Speaker 1: to give him crickets because Bob Scott was an unapologetic 420 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: possum eater. Now one of the other winners, the newly 421 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: crowned possum Queen, Margaret and Wilkes, happened to mention that 422 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:02,120 Speaker 1: she had never tasted a possum. So the governor said 423 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 1: he would remedy that by hosting a banquet for her 424 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 1: at the executive mansion, with poor little slow Poke being 425 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 1: served as the main course. 426 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,560 Speaker 2: No, and everyone was okay with that, like serving up 427 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:15,679 Speaker 2: the prettiest possum on a plate. 428 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: No, not really so. For weeks after the plan had 429 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: come out, people wrote angry letters to their local newspapers 430 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 1: insisting that the Democratic governor call off his twisted dinner party. 431 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 1: And the backlash wasn't just from private citizens and employed. 432 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:35,840 Speaker 1: The state Department of Conservation and Development also registered his disapproval, wrote, quote, 433 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 1: Slowpoke has been subjected to such inanimal like treatment as 434 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 1: being given a bath every other day in certified milk 435 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 1: and having his toenails polished. And I might add that 436 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 1: unless Governor Scott comes up with a substitute meal, I 437 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:53,760 Speaker 1: fear our entire street will vote Republican in the next election. Wow. Anyway, 438 00:23:53,800 --> 00:23:55,960 Speaker 1: after more than a month of public pressure, the governor 439 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:59,920 Speaker 1: finally holds this press event in Capitol Square. He announces 440 00:23:59,960 --> 00:24:02,880 Speaker 1: that slow Poke would not be eaten and would instead 441 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:05,600 Speaker 1: receive a full, unconditional pardon. 442 00:24:06,440 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 2: So let me get this straight. Slow Poke's crime was 443 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:15,040 Speaker 2: winning a beauty contest, and he was pardoned from being 444 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 2: eaten by the governor. 445 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. But Governor Scott was quick to double down after 446 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: the ceremony, telling reporters I shall not be thwarted in 447 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:28,399 Speaker 1: my appetite from bossalom. I just want to let everyone know. 448 00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:30,199 Speaker 1: And then a few years later he followed through on 449 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:33,959 Speaker 1: that by serving possum at a black Tide dinner. Wow, 450 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: but you will be happy to hear that slow Poke 451 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 1: did not wind up on the Governor's dinner table. He 452 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:41,399 Speaker 1: got to live out the rest of his life in 453 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:46,160 Speaker 1: peace and quiet at Raven Rock State Park. No One 454 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,119 Speaker 1: painted his toenails ever again, and he died a free, 455 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 1: unroasted possum. 456 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 2: All right, here's the slow poke, and you know, interestingly enough, 457 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:59,920 Speaker 2: Governor Scott was not the only American politician to proudly 458 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,480 Speaker 2: feast on possum meat. Multiple presidents were known to sample 459 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 2: the dish at one time or another, but the most 460 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 2: frequent offender in that regard was our old buddy William Taft, 461 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:14,720 Speaker 2: who famously attended a possum and Tater's feast two months 462 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 2: before his inauguration. The event was hosted in early nineteen 463 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:21,239 Speaker 2: oh nine by the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and the 464 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 2: main course was requested by Taft himself. His choice of 465 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,040 Speaker 2: possum was basically a nod and a plea to the 466 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 2: Southern States, which had voted overwhelmingly against him. It's unclear 467 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:36,160 Speaker 2: how many new supporters he won that night, but if 468 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:39,680 Speaker 2: nothing else, Taff seemed to enjoy the meal. According to 469 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 2: the Associated Press quote, after several helpings to the dish, 470 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,880 Speaker 2: mister Taft received a message from a doctor sitting nearby 471 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:50,040 Speaker 2: telling him to be careful, but he paid no attention 472 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:53,399 Speaker 2: to the warning. Soon there was only a shattered wreck 473 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:57,680 Speaker 2: remaining of the eighteen pound Billy possum that was toted 474 00:25:57,800 --> 00:25:59,680 Speaker 2: up to mister Taft's table. 475 00:26:00,440 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: That is insane. Eighteen pounds is a lot of meat, 476 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 1: let alone possum meat. But uh, who named this possum Billy? 477 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 2: Well, that's the thing. Billy Possum was a nickname for 478 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:16,200 Speaker 2: William Taft. The hunting exploits of his predecessor, Teddy Roosevelt 479 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:19,199 Speaker 2: had inspired the creation of the Teddy Bear, and in 480 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,680 Speaker 2: the lead up to Taft's Possum Supper, a cartoonist named 481 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 2: Lewis Greg joke that Teddy bears would now be supplanted 482 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 2: by Billy possums as the nation's new favorite toy. 483 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:32,719 Speaker 1: That's amazing, and I always love when someone tries to 484 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: capitalize on someone else's more authentic trend. But I mean, 485 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:39,160 Speaker 1: I feel like the Teddy Bear was named that because 486 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,879 Speaker 1: Roosevelt supposedly like spared the life of a bear, but 487 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 1: in task case, he devours this eighteen pound namesake and 488 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:49,960 Speaker 1: a fancy dinner party that is not endearing in the least. 489 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's not the same thing, And that's sort of 490 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:56,200 Speaker 2: the joke Greg was trying to make. Wouldn't it be ridiculous? 491 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 2: If kids started cuddling up with stuffed possums just because 492 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 2: the new An eight one. And you know, since the 493 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,719 Speaker 2: cartoon was published just five days before the banquet, it 494 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 2: was still on everybody's mind that night, so much so 495 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:12,720 Speaker 2: that Taft was actually presented with his very own Billy 496 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 2: possum stuffed animal after the meal. Again, it was meant 497 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 2: as a joke, but once word got out, there was 498 00:27:19,320 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 2: this mad dash among toy companies to capitalize on what 499 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:26,160 Speaker 2: they assumed would be the hot new craze. So by 500 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:29,159 Speaker 2: the end of the month, the newly formed Georgia Billy 501 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:33,200 Speaker 2: Possum Company was cranking out thousands of stuffed to possums 502 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 2: in three different sizes, And by that summer, the German 503 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 2: toy company Stife, which had popularized the Teddy Bear, had 504 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:44,800 Speaker 2: hopped on the bandwagon and released its own Billy possum. 505 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:47,560 Speaker 1: That's interesting that the company behind the Teddy Bear I 506 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 1: got on board. So did this whole thing take off? 507 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:55,199 Speaker 2: No sales were abysmal, and the whole thing was deemed 508 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 2: a failure by late July. Richard Stife, the nephew of 509 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:02,040 Speaker 2: the company's founder, later admitted that they never actually had 510 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:05,639 Speaker 2: faith in the product, saying, quote, I don't believe in 511 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:09,159 Speaker 2: mixing toys and politics, but they kept at me to 512 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:12,359 Speaker 2: make the Billy Possum, and then nobody wanted it. The 513 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:17,200 Speaker 2: American youngster instinctively turns away from what is ugly or grotesque. 514 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 2: That was the trouble. It was too ugly an animal. 515 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:26,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I guess they never met Slopo, who was 516 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: obviously a supermodel of the species. From everything I've read about. 517 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:33,440 Speaker 2: It, that's right, prettiest possum. But don't feel too bad 518 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 2: for old Billy. He lived on throughout Taff's presidency and 519 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:40,800 Speaker 2: songs and postcards, and because his toy was produced in 520 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:44,320 Speaker 2: such low numbers, even one in rough shape is worth 521 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:48,000 Speaker 2: thousands of dollars today. So even though he did not 522 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 2: prove a worthy successor to the Teddy Bear, he still 523 00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:51,880 Speaker 2: has his fans. 524 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 1: Well, I am one of them. And since this episode 525 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 1: is all about celebrating the misunderstood majesty of these little 526 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:03,120 Speaker 1: underdogs or under possums, I want to close us out 527 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 1: by spotlighting a town that does exactly that each and 528 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 1: every New Year's Eve, and Gabe as a somewhat southern gentleman, 529 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:14,959 Speaker 1: I mean Maryland, Tennessee, etcetera. Accounts as the South. Right. Sure, 530 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 1: I assume you're familiar with the annual possum drop that 531 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: takes place in Tallipalooza, Georgia. Right. 532 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,880 Speaker 2: Oh, yeah, I highlighted on my year. Yeah no, no, no, 533 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:25,920 Speaker 2: I've never heard of it. 534 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 1: Is Well, first of all, it's really more of an 535 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:32,560 Speaker 1: a possum lowering than a possum drop, and the animal 536 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:34,640 Speaker 1: in question has actually been dead for decades. 537 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 2: I don't think you're really selling this. 538 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 1: Maybe not, but it's definitely not as bad as it sounds. 539 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 1: So Tallapoosa was originally known as Possum Snout, and this 540 00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,920 Speaker 1: was because of its abundance of a possums. And now 541 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 1: the town celebrates that possum rich history every year by 542 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:56,760 Speaker 1: lowering a taxidermy to possum named Spencer from the roof 543 00:29:56,800 --> 00:30:00,000 Speaker 1: of a local law office. And it is kind of 544 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,320 Speaker 1: have a sweet take on the New Year's Eve ball drop, right, 545 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,280 Speaker 1: And I guess the tradition started in the mid nineteen nineties. 546 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:08,640 Speaker 1: This is when the town officials decided to create their 547 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 1: own New Year's Eve event, inspired by the town's old name. Now, 548 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 1: the organizers asked the town's residential taxidermists Bud and Jackie 549 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 1: Jones if they had mounted apossums that they could spare, 550 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 1: and not surprisingly, they did so. The couple had found 551 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 1: the poor little dead guy on the side of the 552 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,880 Speaker 1: road many many years ago and had taken to calling 553 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 1: him Spencer in honor of Ralph Spencer, one of the 554 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:35,480 Speaker 1: towns founding businessmen. Now, the inaugural Possum Drop was attended 555 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 1: by only about forty people, but it since expanded into 556 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: a city wide event. It has live music carnivalized. The 557 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 1: estimated crowd at last year's drop was well over thirteen 558 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: thousand people, which is more than four times the town's population. 559 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: People actually come from all over the country to watch 560 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:57,719 Speaker 1: Spencer's yearly descent in his lighted countdown ball. I mean, 561 00:30:57,760 --> 00:30:59,520 Speaker 1: I think we should think about going next year. But 562 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:03,320 Speaker 1: while Billy Possum didn't win over the people's hearts and minds, 563 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: Tallapoosa's stuffed apossum certainly has. 564 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:09,760 Speaker 2: I love that. And you know, twenty twenty six is 565 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:12,800 Speaker 2: technically the year of the Horse, right according to the 566 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:16,360 Speaker 2: Chinese zodiac. But after that story, I'm thinking we should 567 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 2: buck the system and declare it the year of the Apossum. 568 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: What do you think you with me? Since you introduced 569 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 1: us to Billy Possum and the wonders of slubbing. I 570 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 1: am going to give you today's trophy. 571 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,120 Speaker 2: And look at that. You got it engraved and everything. 572 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 2: Gabe Lucy a Possum Queen twenty twenty six. This is 573 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:39,840 Speaker 2: going right up on the mantle. Thank you, Mango. 574 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 1: Well, that is it for today's episode. We have a 575 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 1: question for you out there. If you want to hear 576 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 1: more of my ridiculous fact poetry like the Apossum poem, 577 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,200 Speaker 1: send us an email, send us a fact you want 578 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:55,640 Speaker 1: us to write about, or reach out on Blue Sky 579 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:58,440 Speaker 1: or Instagram. We are at Part Time Genius. We'll be 580 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 1: back next week with another brand new episode in the 581 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: meantime from Will, Dylan, Gabe, Mary, and myself. Thank you 582 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 1: so much for listening. Part Time Genius is a production 583 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 1: of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. It is hosted by my good 584 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 1: pal Will Pearson, who I've known for almost three decades now. 585 00:32:28,880 --> 00:32:31,840 Speaker 1: That is insane to me. I'm the other co host, 586 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: Mangeshatikular aka Mango. Our producer is Mary Phillips Sandy. She's 587 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 1: actually a super producer. I'm going to fix that in post. 588 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 1: Our writer is Gabe Lucier, who I've also known for 589 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:47,880 Speaker 1: like a decade at this point, maybe more. Dylan Fagan 590 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 1: is in the booth. He is always dressed up, always 591 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:53,760 Speaker 1: cheering us on, and always ready to hit record and 592 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 1: then mix the show after he does a great job. 593 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:59,640 Speaker 1: I also want to shout out the executive producers from 594 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:03,120 Speaker 1: iHeart my Good Pals Katrina and Norvel and Ali Perry. 595 00:33:03,480 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 1: We have social media support from Calypso Rallis. If you 596 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 1: like our videos, that is all Calypso's handiwork for more 597 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:15,840 Speaker 1: podcasts from Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. Visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 598 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 1: or tune in wherever you listen to your favorite shows. 599 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:21,960 Speaker 1: That's it from us here at Part Time Genius. Thank 600 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 1: you so much for listening.